NH Casino Owner Pleads Guilty to Stealing $255K in COVID-19 Relief Funds

A New Hampshire casino owner has pleaded guilty to stealing over $250,000 from a COVID-19-era grant. 

Anthony Sanborn, a/k/a Andy Sanborn, 64, pleaded guilty earlier this week to theft of Government Funds, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announced.  

Sanborn owned and operated Win Win Win, a company that did business as Concord Casino. Sanborn applied for and obtained $844,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loan funding from the Small Business Administration. In applying for the loans, Sanborn certified that he would use the loan proceeds solely as working capital for Win Win Win.  

However, Sanborn misused $255,232.72 of the funds on personal expenditures. For example, on January 18, 2022, Sanborn used $48,750 of EIDL funds to purchase a 2006 Porsche Cayman. 

“This office is dedicated to combating fraud and prosecuting those who wrongfully take money from American taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan.  “Today’s conviction was the result of incredible work done by a dedicated team of agents.  We and our law enforcement partners will continue to diligently investigate those who target federal benefits programs.” 

U.S. District Judge Landya B. McCafferty scheduled sentencing for October 15, 2026.

“This casino owner must’ve thought he hit the jackpot when he got more than a quarter of a million dollars set aside to keep businesses afloat amid a pandemic battering our economy.  But the odds and the FBI finally caught up with him when he misused that money for his own financial gain,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division.  “The FBI simply won’t stand for opportunists thinking they can defraud the federal government, live large, and get away with it.  We will aggressively pursue anyone foolish enough to do so.”

The charge of theft of government funds carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

“Today’s guilty plea of Andy Sanborn demonstrates IRS-CI’s continued commitment to root out fraud and theft from the United States Government at all levels,” said Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office.  “Sanborn misappropriated federal funds designated to aid small business owners in their time of need, during a global pandemic.  Instead of using these funds for their intended purpose and invest in his own business, Sanborn selfishly decided to use these funds for his own self-enrichment and to purchase luxury items.”

The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigations, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service routinely seeks prosecution of individuals like Anthony Sanborn, who misused funds that were designated to provide financial relief during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Jason Buckley, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.  “Postal Inspectors, alongside our federal partners, uncovered a scheme where Sanborn spent over a quarter of a million dollars of the funds on personal expenses.  We will continue to support and collaborate with our federal law enforcement partners to stop those who are engaged in these types of schemes.”

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (‘Fraud Division’).  The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people.  The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

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